pagemaster

I had to get some parts today from brother in laws 3 series.

So I had a chance to check out what BMW has to offer. I kept thinking Lexus while I was in there and the first thing that came to mind was how polar opposite BMW and Lexus really are.

Just the whole experience at BMW was different. Not luxurious at all but instead very trendy. They have all the service techs sitting up front with the customer with very little desk separating the service guy/girl and the customer. To be honest I, felt like I was in one of those brand new Toyota dealerships with the way things were laid out.

There were winter tires on rims sitting in the lobby, performance tires as well. There was clothing all over the place like jackets/hats and shirts. There were all these accessories placed everywhere.

Now on to the cars. BMW does what it does very well, it's theme and style cannot be replicated by anyone IMO. Whether or not it is good or bad or better or worse, it works for BMW. Not sure if anyone comes close to matching the feel of a BMW inside the car or on the road.

A few observations.

The BMW 1 series competes with the IS250 on price and size. The IS has a much better interior.

I never expected BMW M cars to be so high priced. $121,000 starting price for a 6 series M coupe

There was not much luxury in their cars IMO. Their cars were more trendy. The leather material in the cars was not soft, it was firm and more coarse. Still very nice, but not the same as Lexus or Mercedes.

I can't believe the price on the BMW 7-series I was sitting in. $134,000 (Can)...that is north of the LS600h...and we haven't even got into V12 discussion.

I was very disappointed to see the wires from the battery connection attached to the vehicle under the car powering the accessories. The wires lead up from the ground and go inside the hood, then the hood does not stay completely closed. Kind of tacky and not very impressive to say the least, especially when the 7 series had such a high sticker.

There were a lot of used cars on the lot. A LOT!


Overall an interesting experience. The dealership, cars and experience did not seem luxurious at all. Again, it seemed trendy, even the service lady was wearing trendy light colored sun glasses on while she was checking customers out...you could barely see her eyes.

It seemed BMW really pushes the driving experience, and I guess that is true from what everyone says. In contrast to Lexus, it seems these cars really can't or should not be cross shopped. The interiors are done totally different with a complete different type of theme and feel. Also, the Lexus dealer experience is much more luxurious, you feel as though you are in luxury dealership as compared to the BMW dealer which is more like a high end Toyota dealer.

LIMS407

i go to bmw on sat for free pancakes...

bagwell

I don't think their interiors are trendy at all - I think they're very low key and classy, but boring and blah.

karasha

iTrader: (5)

I now know where this college student is getting her breakfast on saturday mornings

projectdna

iTrader: (56)

had two experiences with the service department at my local BMW dealership (shelly). was not very pleased the first time around - it had me making demands/threats to take the X5 i brought in to another dealership. the second time was better, but almost robotic.

on a related note, when i had to drop off my brother to pick up his new 5-series, a salesperson asked me if i wanted to trade in my is350...

for a 328.

Wish

True... and expensive for being boring!

lamar411

The BMW dealership that is around me is great. No problems at all.

joe80

where do you live?

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

BMW interiors are hit and miss, some love them and would not accept anything else, others tolerate them as the drivetrain makes up for the rest, and then there is someone such as myself which absolutely hated the I-Drive so much I skipped the car.

bad co

LOL at Lexus owners calling BMW's boring.

carluvr

IMO BMW interiors are not as nice Lexus. I don't think it compares to the fit & finish of a Lexus. It is functional and easy to use compared to Lexus. I do like the I-Drive on my '09 and the sound on the enhance audio is better in my ears compared to the Mark Levinson on our IS.

I like the buying experience and service that Lexus provides compared to BMW. The people working for Lexus are much more nicer and helpful compared to BMW. I had a Merc and Infiniti before, but Lexus still tops them all.

But driving a BMW and a Lexus feels totally different. The edge goes to BMW for the driving experience.

I8ABMR

I looked at the 3 series ( 335) when I was buying my GS but I though the interior was tiny and the quality of the plastic making up the console and the dash seemed far cheaper that what should be in a car that they are selling for 47 K . I bought my GS because I wanted something more reliable than my old G35 and had a little more leg room

Fizzboy7

I agree with the OP's comments. I feel BMW focusses on "sport" while Lexus focusses on "luxury." I was also unimpressed with the treatment at my local BMW dealer when I was looking. It was near impossible to get someone to take me seriously.

bagwell

the interiors YES....are you going to tell me they're ground-breaking?

Och

iTrader: (3)

Theres no comparison between Lexus interior and BMW interiors. Not even close.